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Slugger Katz goes to Cards in Round 4

Slugger Katz goes to Cards in Round 4

Mason Katz was a staple in LSU's lineup for four years and moved all over the diamond to keep his powerful bat in the game. On Friday, the Cardinals took him 125th overall.

The best tool Katz possesses is his power, which grades out as average. He is an aggressive hitter and squares balls up well, but scouts wonder if his long swing will be exposed in the Minor Leagues.

Katz doesn't project as an everyday first baseman, but his versatility and feel for the game mean he could be a fit as a super-utility player.

"The Cardinals got a kid who will be a great ambassador for their organization, carry himself with class at all times and will play his heart out for them," said LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri. "He's a very underrated athlete -- steal of the Draft, in my opinion.

"You put him at any position and he's going to do a good job for you," Mainieri said. "When he gets hot at the plate, he's as clutch a hitter as anyone."

Katz hit .318 or better in all four of his seasons with LSU, including a team-leading .383 mark in 2013. Last season, when he hit 13 homers, Katz competed in the College Home Run Derby, finishing as a runner-up to Fresno State's Aaron Judge, who was taken by the Yankees on Thursday in the first round.

"We saw him as one of the top college bats in the Draft," said scouting director Dan Kantrovitz. "We're going to send him on as a second baseman and see how that works and just hope he hits his way throughout our system and hopefully to the Major Leagues."

At pretty much every level he's played, Katz has hit and he has won. He batted .410 in both his junior and senior seasons at Jesuit High School in New Orleans. He reached the 5A State Title game twice, winning it in 2007 as a sophomore.

Chad Thornburg is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.